Automatic windmill-regulator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. T. OR OWE. AUTOMATIC WINDMILL REGULATOR.

No. 480,399. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I (No Model.)

E. T. CROWE; AUTOMATIC WINDMILL REGUIIATOR.

Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. CROWVE, OF DELRAY, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC WINDMILL-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,399, dated August9, 1892.

Application filed January 25 1892. Serial No. 419,113. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE T. CRoWE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Delray, county of WVayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Siphon WVind- WheelRegulators; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a certain new and useful automatic wind-wheelregulator; and it consists of the devices and appliances, theirconstruction, combination, and arrangement, hereinafter described andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a diagram view illustrating my invention, showing parts in section.Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the main and auxiliary reservoirs andtheir immediate connections. Fig. 3 is a view in section. Fig. at is aView in section on the liney y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows certainmodifications of portions of the device.

The desirability of an automatic windmill-regulator which shall besimple and economical in construction and certain and eflioient in itsoperation is well understood.

It is the object of my invention to accomplish these ends in asatisfactory and superior manner.

I accordingly carry out my invention as follows: A indicates a well, andA the pumprod of a windmill. A is the tube of a pump.

B denotes a stock water-tank supplied by the pump.

0 denotes a main reservoir, with which the stock-tank communicates, asby a pipe D, provided with a controlling-valve E.

C denotes an auxiliary reservoir, with which the main reservoir Ccommunicates, as through a pipe D, provided with a controling-valve E.

F is a siphon counterbalance-bucket, with which the auxiliary reservoir0 communicates, as by a pipe D emptying into said bucket, having an openarm D projecting into the reservoir, and an arm I), provided with acontrolling-valve E The bucket F is provided with a siphon F fordischarging water therefrom when the bucket has been suitably filled tocharge the siphon. To this end one extremity of the siphon-tube extendsdownward within the bucket adjacent to the bottom thereof, while thesiphon extends upward to a desired height, the opposite extremityconducting the water outside the bucket to discharge it therefromwherever desired. The bucket F has a reciprocatory movement verticallyand is connected to the regulating-rod G of the windwheel to throw theWindmill into and out of gear as the rod is moved upward and downward bythe action of the bucket connected therewith.

As my invention does not pertain to any specific construction of thewind-wheel nor to any specific mechanism for throwing the wheel into andout of gear, I do not show herewith a wind-wheel construction nor anyregulating mechanism connected therewith save the customary operating orregulating rod G, which is commonly employed, leading to the regulatingmechanism.

My invention, it will be observed, respects simply the automatic meansand mechanism here shown and described to vertically move saidregulating-rod G upward and downward to accomplish the desired result.Accordingly my invention will thus be made clear without furtherillustration.

To insure the proper vertical movement of the bucket and to hold itproperly in place and under the pipe leading thereto from the auxiliaryreservoir, I provide guide-rods H H, properly secured in place, as maybedesiredas, for example, to a wall H the bucket being provided, as shown,with ears f, engaged with the guide-rods. I do not limit myself,however, to this manner of guiding the bucket. The bucket may beprovided with a bail f, by which it is connected with the regulatingrodG.

The Valves E E E may be operated in any suitable manner to control thepassage of water through the respective pipes in which they are located.As shown in the drawings, all of said valves are connected with anopcrating-rod I, so as to be simultaneously operated, the valve E,however, being arranged to open and close in a manner opposite to theopening and closing of the valves E E This may readily be accomplishedby reversing the direction of the movement of the valve E, as shown. Inthis manner when the valve E'is open the valves E E are closed, and whenthe valves E E are open the valve E is closed, the reason for which willbe apparent in a further description of the operation of the devicehereinafter.

Asshown in Fig. l,A, the rod I is connected with a float J in thestock-tank B. This may be done in any desired manner if the float isused. As shown, the rod I and the float are connected at oppositeextremities to a leverbar I, fnlcrumed intermediate its ends, as shownat i. As so connected, it is obvious that when the float rises the rod Iwill move downward, and when the float descends the rod I will belifted, operating the connected valves E E E in a corresponding manner.

As shown in Fig. 1,13, therod I is connected at its upper end with thestock-tank itself, the tank in this instance resting on springs K, thewater in the tank when it has reached suflicient heft depressing thetank, and thereby moving downward the rod I. When the tank has beensufliciently relieved of water therein, the springs again elevate thetank and lift the rod, thereby operating the valves accordingly.

L denotes an air-valve in the reservoir 0. We are now prepared tounderstand the operation of the various features of the devicehereinbefore described. The main reservoir 0 is preferably located abovethe auxiliary reservoir 0 and is of sufficient capacity at least thatthe weight of water therein when discharged into thecounterbalance-bucket F will throw the wind-wheel out of gear. This mainreservoir may be connected with the stock-tank or with the pump or withany suitable water-head. ater is admitted to the main reservoir 0through the pipe D when its valve E is open and passes thence throughpipe D into the auxiliary reservoir 0 when the valve E is open. TheWater is held, however, in the main reservoir by the closed valve Euntil such time as it is desired to throw the wind-wheel out of gear,and thereby stop the working of the pump. Then the float has risensufficiently to open thevalve E, where the float is employed, the valvein the pipe D is closed, stopping the flow of Water into the mainreservoir. At the same time that the valve E is closed. stopping theflow of water through the arm D, the water is then let out of the mainreservoir O'into the auxiliary reservoir through the pipe D. The waterin the auxiliary reservoir passes out therefrom through the arm Dentering the top of said arm, and passes thence to thecounterbalance-bucket. The surplus of water in the main reservoir overthe capacity of the auxiliary reservoir up to the top of the pipe-arm Dwhen discharged into the counterbalancebucket, is designed to be ofsufficient weight to throw the wheel out of gear. In this 0011- ditionof aifairs we have, then, the wheel out of gear and water in theauxiliary reservoir up to the top of the pipe-arm D which is held thereuntil it is desired to start the wheel to work again,which will be whenthewaterin the stock-tank carries the float downward and operates thevalves again to open the valves E E and closing the valve E. The sameresult would obviously take place if the spring-supsorted tank were usedinstead of the float. This action lets water out of the auxiliaryreservoir through the pipe-arm D into the counterbalance bucket. Theamount of water thereby discharged into the counterbalancebucket inaddition to that already therein will be enough to prime the siphon andin consequence empty the bucket. The bucket,being thus relieved of itsweight of water, ascends and allows the wheel to go in .gear again andresume pumping. The opening of the valves E E lets water into the mainreservoir, where it is held by the closed valve E, as above explained.The counterbalance-bucket is designed to be of essentially the samecapacity as the main reservoir.

I do not limit myself to locating the counterbalance-bucket in the wellalone. It is obvious that the pipe D may be carried to any suitabledistance.

This device is obviously simple and not liable to get out of order. Itis positive in its action, the action of the rod A being controlled bygravitation. It can be attached to any kind of a pump and can be usedwith any kind of a tank, wherever the tank may be located. It can bemade of any desired capacity, according to the size of the windwheel andthe weight required to control its action. The counterbalance-bucket, itwill be seen, is suspended on the rod G.

I would have it understood that the windwheel connection G to throw theWheel into and out of gear may be a rod or any other desired connectionfor accomplishing this purpose.

I do not limit myself to any specific construction of the valves hereshown, nor to any specific number and location of them, nor to the useof the valves alone, as my invention contemplates any means ofcontrolling the desired water communications interposed between thestock-tank or water-head and the bucket.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a wind-wheel regulator, thecombination of the movable counterbalance-bucket, reservoirscommunicating one with another and with said bucket, means to controlsaid communications, and a wheel-operating connection G, by which saidbucket is suspended, substantially as described.

2. In a wind-wheel regulator, the combination of thecounterbalance-bucket, a wheel connection suspending said bucket, anauxiliary reservoir communicating with said bucket, a main reservoircommunicating with the auxiliary reservoir, a water-inlet pipe leadinginto the main reservoir, valves controlling said communications, and thevalve controlling the communication between the reservoirs, arranged toclose when the other valves are open, and vice versa, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a wind-Wheel regulator, the combination of the siphon-bucket, awheel connection suspending the bucket, an auxiliary reservoir, a pipe Dleading from said reservoir to said bucket, a main reservoircommunicating with the auxiliary reservoir, a water-inlet pipe leadinginto the main reservoir, valves to control the communication through thewaterinlet pipe and between said reservoirs, the pipe D provided with apipe-arm D projectingupward toward the top of the auxiliary reservoir,and a pipe-arm D provided with acontrolling-valve, and means foroperating said valves, substantially as described.

4. In a wind-wheel regulator, the combination of the suspended bucket,an auxiliary reservoir communicating with the bucket, a main reservoircommunicating with the auxiliary reservoir, and simultaneously-operatedvalves to control said communication, substantially as and in the mannerdescribed.

5. In a wind-wheel regulator, the combination of the suspended bucket,the auxiliary reservoir communicating therewith, the main reservoircommunicating with the auxiliary reservoir, a stock-tank communicatingwith the main reservoir, and valves controlling said communications,said valves automatically operated by the quantity of water in thestocktank, substantially as and in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

EUGENE T. OROWE.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, J. F. MILLER.

